Yesterday, Gabriel Balanovsky, co-founder of San Telmo Productions, attended a seminar hosted by “Haciendo Cine” –a magazine devoted to helping filmmakers in Argentina–about the new funding guidelines set by the INCAA, the national film board. The seminar was given by renowned producers Verónica Cura and Hugo Castro Fau and gave a glimpse of the exciting new opportunities open to Argentine filmmakers (and their international co-producers).

The seminar at times turned into an intense debate on how the government funds should be utilized–should they go to artists who otherwise couldn´t make their movies, or used to help the film industry grow? We at San Telmo Productions believe that only by promoting an industrial approach can the wonderful technical and artistic talents of Argentine filmmakers reach a wide audience.

New changes in the funding policy of the INCAA include: more chances for young filmmakers to apply for grants, a more transparent selection process and a continued investment in digital documentaries. And the biggest news is that there will be better promotionof short films finished in digital (before, only shorts finished in 35mm were accepted in national competitions) and also funds for films shot and finished digitally. This move away from “film only” will allow Argentina´s filmmakers adapt to new forms of distribution. Also, films that are already completed will be allowed to apply for finishing funds, a huge reversal that will allow movies filmed “super low budget” to retroactively pay cast, crew and post production costs.